These days we hear a lot about "income inequality," but we don't always consider the factors that cause the wide disparity between wealth and poverty. Education is a big piece of that puzzle.

Despite some of the gains in making quality education more accessible to American children over the years, a surprisingly large number of adults do not have the education and skills necessary to compete in today's economy and break out of a cycle of poverty.

At a regional engagement session sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and University of Massachusetts Dartmouth at Fall River's Advanced Technology Manufacturing Center on Tuesday, panelists revealed that, on average, a shocking one in six U.S. adults have low literacy skills. In Japan, that number is more like one in 20. This puts our nation at a severe disadvantage in a global economy.

Although the United States has one of the highest high school graduation rates in the world, those credentials may not be giving students the skills they need in the labor market. Many adult workers are unskilled — surprisingly, one-third of those unskilled workers are under 35 — and are not proficient in literacy and math.

The problem is especially acute among immigrant and minority communities. The state and federal education officials who gathered in Fall River Tuesday believe that a renewed focus on adult education is key to turning these trends around. Employers are having trouble finding the skilled workforce they need.

That skills gap, combined with an educational achievement gap, may be part of the reason more businesses may not be locating on the SouthCoast. Although nationally, two out of three low-skilled adults are employed — largely in low-wage jobs — local employment prospects are not as bright.

Consider the crippling unemployment rates plaguing unskilled workers in Greater Fall River, and the number of working adults without higher education credentials in the SouthCoast region compared with other regions statewide to understand why this discussion is an important one for state and federal officials to bring to Fall River. As part of the U.S. Department of Education's campaign, "Time for the U.S. to Reskill," other engagement sessions were held in Redwood City, Calif., Mississippi and Chicago.

The officials who gathered at the ATMC to discuss the issue plan to release a report in part based on input from these engagement sessions by the end of April and use that data to develop an action plan. Since the cost of inaction is so great, the action cannot come soon enough.